If you're travelling to a country in Europe this year, you'll want to be aware of the current passport rules.
You must follow the Schengen area passport requirements if you are planning to travel to an EU country (except Ireland), or Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Andorra, Monaco, San Marino or Vatican City.
Most people know their passports should be valid for at least three months after the day they plan to leave. However, it also must have been issued less than 10 years before the date you enter the country.
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Many travellers have been caught out because they think their passports are valid because they are not due to expire for some time. However, if you turn up at an airport with an invalid passport you may be denied entry to EU countries.
You can check your issue date in your passport. It will be under 'date of issue'.
If your passport was issued before October 1, 2018, extra months may have been added to its expiry date, but these months will not be valid for people entering the EU.
It's also worth checking on the Foreign Office's website to making sure you meet the entry requirements of the destination country before booking your trip.
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